Red leg hermit crab attacking my GSP?
Forum rules
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
-
titanoboa100
- Dwarf Puffer
- Posts: 59
- Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2012 2:19 am
- Location (country): USA
Red leg hermit crab attacking my GSP?
I noticed that the only other tank mate that lives with my GSP is a red leg hermit crab. I originally got the hermit crab to help with the algae clean up and for my GSP to eventually eat the hermit crab. While the crab has helped keep the algae down, my GSP has not tried to attack the crab or take a bite out of its thick shell. I noticed two days ago that my GSP's tail fin had some little bits of uneven areas around the end of the tail. Its noticeable when the tail is fully fanned out. I am just wondering if perhaps the hermit crab is harassing my GSP whiles it sleeps on the sand bed at night. Do you guys have any experience with hermit crabs attacking or nipping fish while they sleep?
-
G S P Freak
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 421
- Joined: Sat Sep 22, 2012 6:58 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: Figure Eight Puffers, Binks (29G)
Dwarf puffers, named "He-Puffer" (male) and She-puffer (female) (10g)
Non-puffer:
1 Red-eared slider, Tortuga (female)(100g)
1 rubber lip pleco - Location (country): USA, Indiana
Re: Red leg hermit crab attacking my GSP?
I had 4 red/blue legged hermits in with my gsp and never had a problem... u sure his decor isnt ripping his tail up? I suppose it could be the crab, only one way to find out; seperate them for a week or so and see if his tail is ok. Mosty hermits only display aggression towards other hermits, so maybe adding another will distract it? Worth a try imo.
No human being, however great, or powerful, was ever so free as a fish.
-John Ruskin-
"I have to laugh when people call fish-keeping a hobby, if anything, it's a science... and for some, an obsession." - Me
-John Ruskin-
"I have to laugh when people call fish-keeping a hobby, if anything, it's a science... and for some, an obsession." - Me
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32976
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: Red leg hermit crab attacking my GSP?
It's very possible. All crabs are opportunistic feeders & will eat anything that isn't moving, including a sleeping puffer's fins.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
-
titanoboa100
- Dwarf Puffer
- Posts: 59
- Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2012 2:19 am
- Location (country): USA
Re: Red leg hermit crab attacking my GSP?
well if thats the case with the crab attacking champion, then the crab sleeps on the couch tonight.
-
tropicshell
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 12
- Joined: Sat Nov 03, 2012 5:25 am
- Location (country): USA
- Contact:
Re: Red leg hermit crab attacking my GSP?
As the hermits are omnivorous, your suspecting point is quite obvious. I agree to GSP freak,as to separate them for a week. Lets see what happens. 
I love to take care hermit crab. I have different sizes and colors hermit crab in my collection.
-
tropicshell
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 12
- Joined: Sat Nov 03, 2012 5:25 am
- Location (country): USA
- Contact:
Re: Red leg hermit crab attacking my GSP?
Any update of your GSP?
I love to take care hermit crab. I have different sizes and colors hermit crab in my collection.